i have gotten this question a lot from girls so i figured it was worth posting...

Christ is ALL and in ALL...

Hey! glad you wrote- it's means so much to me that you would even ask... this is something the Lord taught me this past year a lot about... I think the phrase 'guard your heart' comes from this:

Prov. 4:23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.This is the NASB version which i like b/c it shows the word guard to mean "watch over" the AMP version says be diligent over...This is indeed important but i agree w/ you in that it has really been thrown around to the point that no one knows what it means anymore. anytime you make a theology out of one verse you usually end up frustrated or lost! I think it's very important to watch over your heart- to take care of it by renewing it to truth and asking the Lord to search and know it and change it when it's out of line... i think, especially with women, our temptation is to live by feelings and those feelings (i.e. having a crush on a guy or thinking there is something there when he has said nothing to you about it) and feelings move to a false reality. then you are totally on this roller coaster because you were not renewing your heart and mind to truth, but to your human feelings. (see romans 12:1-2)

I think we need to pick that Proverbs 4:23 verse apart according to scripture:if you read about what the heart is and how that word is used in scripture it's usually the seat of our desire, it is "deceitful above all" and "God is greater than our heart" It's the part of us that is often what we feel and may not ALWAYS be in line w/ truth- that's why I John 3 says 16By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 19By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

so you see - people in their sin(flesh/self effort) can close their hearts (that's why we much be in touch with what God is doing in us individually, praying and asking Him to reveal any sin in our lives). When their heart, the container of the wellspring of life, is closed, they miss the gospel in their lives, and their hearts can even condemn them (this is one way we are deceived into believing lies), but we must REASSURE our hearts of what it true: (Remember when David tells is own soul: "Bless the Lord, Oh my Soul"?) that HE laid His life down for us, and His love is complete, perfect, abounding -

So we may often FEEL condemned, unworthy, unacceptable, or needy but TRUTH is what GOD says, regardless of how I feel.

All of our worth, significance, and acceptability comes totally 100% from Christ - and we must often (as I am choosing to do even today) cast our entire heart, all that we are, onto the love of Christ. That's why he said in John 15, "Abide in my love, remain in my love..." We throw ourselves in total trust and abandon into the life and love of Christ that He gives freely.

To NOT guard your heart is to allow those needs for love, acceptance, worth, security, etc... that only Christ can meet... to consume you instead of letting Christ meet them. It can be so subtle and that's why Proverbs reminds us to "be diligent" over our heart. When you look to ANY other source (whether guy or girl friends or family or school, etc...) above or outside of Christ you are not guarding your heart because your "wellspring of Life" will be dry if you are drinking from THE Living water.

Specifically, in relationships, it is to live in the reality of that relationship, not an imagined fantasy. (this is where the heart can deceive you into thinking it's more, or moving further along, etc, than what it actually is, and this is where the heartbreak often happens) It is to always look to Christ first and not to a person. When they disappoint you (they will) you look to Christ. When they ask too much of you (and you know when they do this) you don't give in because you find acceptance in Christ and not what you do for them. And when your heart is broken, you can survive that because all along your have cast your hope in Christ, not making that person an idol, or one from whom you receive your primary acceptance and love from. God is your primary provide for that need!

Here's a little more on the heart for you/ How you can practically guard your heart:

Phil 4:5 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Eph 1:19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

So, REJOICE, offer up your requests to Him, THANK HIM in faith for His deep love and acceptance towards you, know the Love of Christ (pursue intimacy with Him)... that you may be at peace (accepting His gift of Life to you) and full (complete, not lacking in anything) in Christ.

We, as children of God and believers in His power that lives and dwells in us, are called to live out of our fullness and Christ- the full heart, confident in Him alone, is the guarded heart. Or at least that's the first step... when the wellspring of live isn't flowing... you'll know what to do. And it will always be a journey but it's a journey to intimacy with Christ that He is overjoyed to walk with you in.

Hope this helps,and let me know if I could help you any further! If I can do anything at all for you (get together or whatever) let me know!lovekatie b